simple ginger roasted salmon

This past labor day weekend, I made a trip out to Slide Ranch, a non-profit teaching farm, in Marin County for a barbecue/picnic. A beautiful afternoon and breathtaking coastal spot, spent in the company of culinary folks from Berkeley’s Cheese Board. Needless to say, this group got their cook on. I had my first taste of Hog Island Oysters – small, meaty, and sweet – I’m told there’s a b-y-o-b/w picnic spot at the farm where you can eat your weight in oysters while looking over the pacific. Sounds very rough, indeed.

Oyster bliss aside, my favorite dish of the trip was a sweet-salty ginger and garlic spiked barbecued salmon. It’s the kind of thing that tastes like much more than the sum of its parts, with 5 simple ingredients (+ the salmon.) Instead of grilling (preheating a charcoal grill to cook for 1 just seemed a little too much), I roasted my salmon alongside some broccoli and bok choy. The marinade here does double duty, with half spread over the fish pre-oven, and half reduced on the stove and served poured over as a glaze.

Steam a little rice, maybe roast a vegetable or 2, and your dinner will be ready in 20 minutes.

Combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil in a small bowl and mix well. Place the salmon skin side down in an oven safe dish and pour half the marinade over the salmon. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roast the salmon 15-17 minutes until just cooked through. (Alternately, grill the salmon using a well soaked cedar plank, a fish basket, or a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil over medium-high heat.) Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinade in a small sauce pan over low-medium heat – reduce by half. When the salmon is cooked, transfer to a serving platter and pour over the reduced sauce. Serve immediately with steamed rice.